https://activerain.com/blogs/fpeot1 en-us https://activerain.com/blogsview/5441307/thanksgiving-101-ooor-what-to-do-in-thanksgiving Thanksgiving has arrived! It is not just simply about expressing gratitude to the blessings you have received in life. It is also the bonding you have with your family, getting together with your loved ones while sharing a meal with them is one of the highlights of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving originally started becoming a tradition with the Pilgrims who started feasting to celebrate their very first harvest in America. Although that happened long ago, it is still revered as an American holiday. It is not that difficult to master the basics of Thanksgiving. Here are some tips you can follow as a guide: 1. Turkey           - The turkey is the front and center of Thanksgiving. It is a must in every Thanksgiving celebration which is due to tradition. You may have it grilled, roasted, or fried as long as it is present during Thanksgiving. You should also keep in mind that the supply of turkey usually runs out one or two weeks before Thanksgiving. So, you should be prepared to purchase it in advance so as not to miss having it. Cooking turkey also takes several hours. Make sure you start early to avoid any problems during the feast itself. 2. Other Stuff           - Thanksgiving also comes into life with the other stuff aside from turkey. These could be mashed potatoes, apple pie, ice cream, green bean casserole, cornbread stuffing, and cranberry sauce. It is also recommended to have pumpkin pie as a great dessert. Remember that during this occasion, you and your family will be likely to eat while talking with each other. As well as the regular catching up, it would be good to prepare wine for the adults as well. 3. Music           - We do know that Thanksgiving is the official start of the holiday season. Which, as we know, leads to Christmas. Racking up those Christmas music playlists you have would be a great idea as you and your family start preparing for the day. Listening to Christmas music while preparing will let the holiday vibe start sinking in to you and your family, which in return, lightens up the mood and serves as a source of creating positive energy for you and your family. 4. Gratitude           - In the end, Thanksgiving is all about giving gratitude and being thankful for every blessing we have and will receive. It is a special day dedicated for giving thanks each year. It does not mean that we will only give thanks during this time of the year but, essentially, we will celebrate this time for our gratitude. There are times that Thanksgiving would become emotional for the members of the family, this is quite normal considering that each family has its own situations. But this time, try to gather your family so that as one, you could all say thanks and give gratitude for a blessed year.  Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Thu, 28 Nov 2019 10:25:30 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5441307/thanksgiving-101-ooor-what-to-do-in-thanksgiving https://activerain.com/blogsview/5441160/tips-to-a-happy-thanksgiving- As we all know, Thanksgiving is the number one holiday that is celebrated in America. This is the time of the year that really gets us busy on preparations. Although it is not always filled with happiness, we try to alleviate ourselves during this period. Here are some tips to help you have a happy Thanksgiving with a little bit of Feng Shui: 1. Yourself           - Yes, the holidays are just around the corner but it does not mean that you have to throw off a party or make sure you have plenty of food to host a celebration. You have to focus on yourself, and your family first. Having peace of mind during the holidays is one of the best feelings you want to have. It is always predicted that during the week before Thanksgiving, there will be tons of people buying the traditional ingredients, there will be hectic travel plans, difficulty in booking a flight just to be with your family. But remember that it should not be the case, you can prepare what you want for Thanksgiving, make a list of the ingredients and buy them 4 or 5 days so that you won’t be buying them during the “rush” period as Thanksgiving nears. If you do not like to cook, then you can arrange for a restaurant reservation that you could book in advance so that when you go to that restaurant during Thanksgiving, you will surely have a table for you and your family. Making sure you have a properly allocated budget will also reduce the amount of stress you have. Reducing the amount of stress will then lead to better pacing for your mood and emotions. 2. Playful           - Thanksgiving is the number one celebrated holiday. So, why are you grumpy while celebrating it? We should remember our childhood days and see that we were keeping it cool and just playing during the holidays. Why not let the next generations experience that too? A little bit of compromise won’t just improve the mood but also let the children have a great experience too. 3. Space Clearing Ceremony          - During Thanksgiving, you may either host a celebration or not but it will always be a good idea to perform a Space Clearing Ceremony. As we approach the holidays, we tend to have mixed emotions which lead to having both positive and negative energies present within our home. Letting positive energy linger in your home during the holidays will be helpful in setting a home’s mood. Normally, for Feng Shui, homeowners will light incense to clear one’s mind to assist in meditation, dreaming, and to help you connect to a specific type of energy. When doing a Space Clearing Ceremony, we do not use incense but we will use white sage instead. White sage is used to cleanse a space of negative energy. Hence, before the guests arrive at your home, you perform a Space Clearing Ceremony with white sage. This will be burned a little from 10 am to 2 pm. Why 10 am to 2 pm? According to Feng Shui, this is the time of the day that the sun offers the strongest blessings along the Earth plane. The Space Clearing Ceremony normally lasts 20 to 30min depending on the size of your home. You start burning the white sage at your front door and start walking through each room inside and make sure the white sage will be in contact with every room. Note that you do not need to rush this so you should walk slowly. After walking with the burning white sage throughout the rooms of your home, you go back to your front door. You should also recite a short prayer before ending the Space Clearing Ceremony.           After your guests leave your home, you should also perform a Space Clearing Ceremony again. Your guests came into your home and brought with them their own energies and they also made some positive or negative energies as they stayed within your home. Performing a Space Clearing Ceremony after they leave will help your home neutralize its energy levels and as much as possible remove the negative energies within it.  4. Stop Following the Traditions          - Most families all spend Thanksgiving by hosting, preparing and celebrating this festivity at home. But there is no rule that you need to spend Thanksgiving at home. You can take a break and go on vacation too. With your family, you could travel, go on camping or even go on hiking. You can also simply stay at home. Celebrating Thanksgiving should still be within your pace. What’s important is that you enjoy it with the company of your family.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Wed, 27 Nov 2019 14:31:41 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5441160/tips-to-a-happy-thanksgiving- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5436739/why-should-you-consider-buying-a-home-now- Purchasing a home isn’t an easy task. It is one of your life goals that you will plan, save up, and take time until you find that dream house that you want. But honestly, there are so many things that pop up as we grow older. These things will eventually take up the savings we have and at the end of the long run, we end up drying our reserves. Did you know that the longer you wait, the difficulty of getting your dream home gets higher?           Here are reasons why you should consider buying your home now: 1. Price           - We should all be aware that the prices of the basic commodities are gradually increasing. From the prices of food, clothing, and shelter. This means the prices of the properties listed in the market are also gradually increasing. Normally, the prices of the properties listed go down the longer they are in the market. Sadly, this trend is long gone due to the fact that there are too many homebuyers in the market right now. If the number of home buyers increase, each property will also increase in their set prices. This is a perfect example with the application of the law of supply and demand. As demand increases, the supply decreases. Hence, the prices of the supplies will go up. The supply, in this case, are the properties listed in the market. As the trend has now shifted, the prices in the market are gradually going up. So, if you plan to purchase a home, it would be of utmost regard that you plan it in the near future. It would be better to have a home as a start so that you can start investing on it rather than changing places from time to time. Yes, we do know that purchasing a home will tear up a big hole in your finances. Nevertheless, you will end up tearing up that hole, right? Think about it, manage and check if you can afford to purchase your dream home in a year or two. Remember that time is never on anyone’s side, so if you want to grab that dream house, make sure to play your moves right.  2. Mortgage          - For the sake of everyone reading this blog, I would like to help us all recall what mortgage is. A mortgage is a loan from a bank that will help you finance the purchase of a property. Normally, the home will be used as the “collateral”. This means that you are legally obliged to repay the money you have borrowed, which includes the agreed interest rate. Failure to pay within the set intervals of payment would give the bank the right to take away your home. This, of course, is done through legal action. Most of the properties listed in the market are still under the home seller’s mortgage. So, any potential home buyer will be taking on the obligation of the home seller’s mortgage if the property they will purchase is still being paid by the home seller. In real life, each and every one of us who are not living anymore with our parents are paying a mortgage. Of course, when we are living with our parents, we do not pay the mortgage because our parents have already paid for it during their time. Which means that paying the mortgage is unavoidable. This, of course, will be false if the home listed in the market is already clear of its mortgage. Although, this would be less than a quarter of properties listed in the market. 3. Interest Rate          - Another factor regarding the mortgage will be the interest rate. This will be a big lump sum of money for anyone. Why? As each year goes by, the interest rate in the mortgages have also increased. So, before you think of letting yourself drown in other expenses in life, try to save up and make a project for your dream house. The longer you wait to save up for your dream house, the higher the prices and interest rates get.  4. One Step Forward          - As mentioned above, the prices of the properties listed in the market and the accompanying mortgage interest rates both are increasing as time goes by. Would you still wait for it to get too high? We all know that purchasing a home will be a very big step forward in our life. We should also see that purchasing a home earlier could lead to substantial savings that could help us in the future. If you think you can still wait, then at least save up some money for your dream house. If you think the time is right for purchasing your dream house now, then maybe it really is the time to buy. Think carefully. Plan properly. Every day counts.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Mon, 18 Nov 2019 14:34:53 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5436739/why-should-you-consider-buying-a-home-now- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5434411/making-your-home-eco-friendly Nowadays, technology has advanced in a very fast pace. From smartphones that are used in our daily lives, to the advanced equipment used in the industrial sector. And sadly, not all of these technological advancements benefit our mother nature. Yes, they do ease our way of living and also hasten up the production of the products we need but, not all of these are helping our ecosystem.           With these damaging our mother nature, it would be a big step to make our home eco-friendly. This is a situation that everyone must be concerned. Adding up eco-friendly features to your property isn’t just an expense, it is also an investment. A lot of home buyers nowadays are environmentally conscious and are looking for properties in the market that have eco-friendly features. This will be a big plus point for you if you plan to sell your home in the future. There are home buyers that want features that pertain to sustainability which is a big part of being eco-friendly.           But the main question you have right now is: How do I make my home eco-friendly? Surprisingly, there are easy ways to start adding features to make your home eco-friendly. These are: 1. Smart Home          - Transforming your home into a smart home will be a big upgrade to your way of living inside it. Most homeowners think that making their home a smart home is nothing but a luxury. But little do they know that transforming your home into a smart home will result in increasing the efficiency of the usage of electricity. It also upgrades your safety inside your home. Home automation would allow most of your appliances to operate with the lowest amount of energy required. This will definitely result in a lower bill for any homeowner. Not only does a home automated system save energy and money, but it also saves a lot of time for you. You do not need to manually control most of the basic features, therefore saving you the effort that you can now redirect for yourself. 2. Lighting          - LED light bulbs are now a thing. LED means “Light-Emitting Diode”. These LED bulbs produce a brighter light compared to the other types of light bulbs while using less energy to do so. LED light bulbs have a higher cost compared to other light bulbs, but they reduce the amount of electricity used each time you turn them on. Another feature is that they have an extended bulb life. Saving the energy needed in every light bulb you turn on at home won’t just help you as the homeowner, it will also lessen the energy consumption of your home. Hence, reducing the amount of energy produced will lead to reducing the natural resources we take from mother nature. Some may say that using LED light bulbs is insignificant but think about it. If each one of us would use LED light bulbs in our homes, imagine the energy reduction in each town, city, state, and country. It takes one small step from a single person or family, but if everyone would take that step, to add up to a bigger reduction to the energy consumption per household. 3. Living Wall          - Lacking a gardening area in your property? Say no more! Create a living wall in your home. Creating a living wall will inevitably consume a big amount of effort from homeowners, but the perks you can get from having a living wall are quite plenty. It will serve as natural insulation which makes your home cooler since plants take up the carbon dioxide in the air. Which results in lesser energy consumption. It will also give a “living” feeling in the area you make it and would also serve as an aid in maintaining a humid home. You can make a living wall in your entryway, living room, or even on your terrace.  4. Green Roof          - A lot of old properties mostly use metal materials as roofing. But did you know that you can also make your roofing eco-friendly? Installing a green roof is another way to do so. Having a green roof has its multiple benefits. First, they will definitely reduce your energy consumption since they provide natural cooling, therefore, lessening the amount of energy consumed to cool the inside of your home. Making your home energy efficient. A green roof protects your home from the solar heat. It also serves as insulation during the winter to reduce heat loss.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Tue, 12 Nov 2019 14:30:01 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5434411/making-your-home-eco-friendly https://activerain.com/blogsview/5431810/why-should-you-consider-buying-a-home-now- Purchasing a home isn’t an easy task. It is one of the life goals that you will plan, save up, and take time until you find that dream house that you want. But honestly, there are so many things that pop up as we grow older. These things will eventually take up the savings we have and at the end of the long run, we end up drying our reserves. Did you know that the longer you wait, the difficulty of getting your dream home gets higher?           Here are reasons why you should consider buying your home now: 1. Price           - We should all be aware that the prices of the basic commodities are gradually increasing. From the prices of food, clothing, and shelter. This means the prices of the properties listed in the market are also gradually increasing. Normally, the prices of the properties listed go down the longer they are in the market. Sadly, this trend is long gone due to the fact that there are too many homebuyers in the market right now. If the number of home buyers increases, each property will also increase in their set prices. This is a perfect example of the application of the law of supply and demand. As demand increases, the supply decreases. Hence, the prices of the supplies will go up. The supply, in this case, is the property listed in the market. As the trend has now shifted, the prices in the market are gradually going up. So, if you plan to purchase a home, it would be of utmost regard that you plan it in the near future. It would be better to have a home as a start so that you can start investing in it rather than changing places from time to time. Yes, we do know that purchasing a home will tear up a big hole in your finances. Nevertheless, you will end up tearing up that hole, right? Think about it, manage and check if you can afford to purchase your dream home in a year or two. Remember that time is never on anyone’s side, so if you want to grab that dream house, make sure to play your moves right.  2. Mortgage          - For the sake of everyone reading this blog, I would like to help us all recall what mortgage is. A mortgage is a loan from a bank that will help you finance the purchase of a property. Normally, the home will be used as the “collateral”. This means that you are legally obliged to repay the money you have borrowed, which includes the agreed interest rate. Failure to pay within the set intervals of payment would give the bank the right to take away your home. This, of course, is done through legal action. Most of the properties listed in the market are still under the home seller’s mortgage. So, any potential home buyer will be taking on the obligation of the home seller’s mortgage if the property they will purchase is still being paid by the home seller. In real life, each and every one of us who are not living anymore with our parents are paying a mortgage. Of course, when we are living with our parents, we do not pay the mortgage because our parents have already paid for it during their time. Which means that paying the mortgage is unavoidable. This, of course, will be false if the home listed in the market is already clear of its mortgage. Although, this would be less than a quarter of properties listed in the market. 3. Interest Rate          - Another factor regarding the mortgage will be the interest rate. This will be a big lump sum of money for anyone. Why? As each year goes by, the interest rate in the mortgages has also increased. So, before you think of letting yourself drown in other expenses in life, try to save up and make a project for your dream house. The longer you wait to save up for your dream house, the higher the prices and interest rates get.  4. One Step Forward          - As mentioned above, the prices of the properties listed in the market and the accompanying mortgage interest rates both are increasing as time goes by. Would you still wait for it to get too high? We all know that purchasing a home will be a very big step forward in our life. We should also see that purchasing a home earlier could lead to substantial savings that could help us in the future. If you think you can still wait, then at least save up some money for your dream house. If you think the time is right for purchasing your dream house now, then maybe it really is the time to buy. Think carefully. Plan properly. Every day counts.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Wed, 06 Nov 2019 14:28:48 -0800 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5431810/why-should-you-consider-buying-a-home-now- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5427669/vacant-staging---things-to-avoid There are different types of home staging and vacant staging is one of the common home staging types out in the market. This is an empty property that is for sale that does not come with any furniture or accessory. When proceeding with vacant staging, you will have to approach any potential home buyer differently. This is due to the fact that vacant properties present different issues for any home seller.           Vacant properties will obviously appear empty. They have nothing to catch your potential home buyer’s attention. So, it will be a must to make sure your property is thoroughly clean. This is due to the fact that your potential home buyers will likely see the flaws in your property as you have nothing else to divert their attention from those flaws.           But in reality, most vacant properties land in a sale. Although they might not have the grandiose to be home staged, this is due to certain situations related to a home seller’s time and budget.           Here are the things to avoid when proceeding with vacant staging: 1. Items- Most likely, proceeding with vacant staging requires you as a home seller to make sure that your property is empty and clean. This means there should not be any scattered items in it when a potential home buyer comes to view it. It will give them the impression that someone is still living there and there would be possible damages that could happen to your property. This also includes your cabinets. Make sure that your cabinets are empty and do not leave wire hangers in it.   2. Paint- As you are applying vacant staging, never paint the walls white. Having white as the color of your walls with definitely, make your potential home buyer feel that your property is empty and cold. Yes, there are other properties that are painted with white but you have to remember that you have no other furniture to pair up with the white paint since you are applying vacant staging. So, make sure that you will avoid applying white paint for your walls. 3. Furniture- Now that you have chosen to do vacant staging, make sure that you also clear up any furniture, accessories, or rugs. Do not use them to cover up the flaws in your property because they will be too obvious. Selling your property and presenting it to potential home buyers is not a game that you can cheat with. Also, these pieces of furniture, accessory, or rugs will distract your potential home buyer as they try to get the big picture of your property in their mind.  4. Condition- This is the most important part, making sure that your property is in good condition before putting it up in the market. This means you have to repair, update, and clean your property. As stated, the first will be the repairs. As a home seller, it would benefit you to do a home inspection first so that you can have an overview of the things that you need to fix. Letting yourself have the home inspection rather than your potential home buyer would save you face. Also, it would be better to finish these repairs before putting your property in the market. Second, to update. This means you have to update the parts of your home such as the light fixtures, countertops, flooring. These are what your potential home buyer would initially see as they view your property from the inside. It will be essential that you make sure there are no damages and that they are updated. Lastly, make sure it is neat and clean. Your potential home buyer might tap their fingers and slide it in any corner of your vacant property. If they wind up getting dust on their hands, it would leave a negative impression. Dirt, dust, and even grime will catch the attention of your potential home buyer. So make sure to give your property a good scrubbing before showing it off. 5. Cables- Some home sellers forget the fact that they simply removed their appliances and left out the end of the cable connectors hanging from the wall or even from the ceiling. This will end up as a distraction for your potential home buyer. Instead of seeing the empty space, they would easily see these cords hanging or crawling out from your walls.  Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:33:21 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5427669/vacant-staging---things-to-avoid https://activerain.com/blogsview/5426653/no-offers-after-lots-of-showings- Home sellers will often encounter slumps along the road of their home listing. After listing their property in the market, home sellers will have lots of showings but there are home sellers that experience the negative end of this. While other home sellers have tons of showings and get offers after, other home sellers do not even get any offers at all. Even with a hired real estate agent, this could also happen. Real estate agents will do and make sure that you will have a lot of showings but they will want to do those to the potential home buyers and not just any random home buyer.           Having no offers will not only delay your selling, but it will also make you extend the spending you are currently using for your home showings and also, the most important part, the gradual decrease of your home’s value. Time is a very big factor when it comes to home listing so you can never afford to keep extending your property’s market time. So, what could be the reasons why you do not receive any offer even if you keep doing home showing? Here are a few of those reasons: 1. Price- This would be the most important factor if you do not get any offers. Is the market price set too high? Most likely, homebuyers have lists of properties that would be similar to the property you listed in the market. They would see if it is overpriced and they will skip getting a deal for your property. No home buyer would want to buy a property that can be bought cheaper than your offer. As a home seller, you should acknowledge the fact that the market’s prices are changing as time goes by. The market’s constant change will be a challenge for you as a home seller and for your real estate agent. Always check for updates regarding the shifts in the prices so that you can make sure that the price you put for your property is updated. 2. Location- A property’s location will be vital for your potential home buyer. This is true because your potential home buyer would like to have a neighborhood that is suited for his/her needs. This caters to his/her job if the location would be accessible or would it be too far. It would also depend if your potential home buyer has a family. Is the neighborhood viable enough to raise kids or would it be harmful to any children in its premises? These are but simple conditions yet they are crucial enough to change any potential home buyer’s decision whether to chip in an offer or ignore your property. 3. Staging- Could it be that your home staging has not been on the mark? This could also be the case. Remember that if you will proceed to the home staging project, try to put yourself in any home buyer’s shoes. Make your home attractive enough yet it would have the essentials that any potential home buyer would need and want. In some cases, home sellers hire professional home stagers in which would cost them a bit but can yield out results. They may come pricey but you can think of them as an investment. And most likely, that investment would bear fruit and you may end up landing a deal with a potential home buyer.  4. Updating- Sometimes, your home has already been depleted of its soul. This means that after the years you have stayed in it, you also need to update it before putting it in the market. This is due to the fact that home buyers would be keen in observing your home when you show it to them. They will take note of a lot of stuff that, if it would be too many, can end up in a bad way. For you to lose a potential home buyer. So, make sure that you will update your home before putting it up in the market. Big or small updates can have an impact on any home buyer who views your property. These updates can also end up as a bargaining chip to your potential home buyer so do not forget it. 5. Showing- As you proceed with home showing, make sure that your property will not be dull or maybe a problem with its smell. You see, any home buyer would look at your property as an approval test. Every wrong thing that they would see would wind up as a red mark for your property, and if there would be too many red marks, you will lose your potential home buyer. You must have a favorable first impression to your potential home buyer. Let your home shine and smell good. Making sure it is clean and neat is just a simple task you can do as you prepare for a home showing.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Thu, 24 Oct 2019 14:27:49 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5426653/no-offers-after-lots-of-showings- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5426274/things-to-consider-before-replacing-your-roof Every house has a roof. And we know that the roof serves as our protection against external forces that hit our home from above. It protects us from the rain, from snow, from the sunlight, etc. It is an essential and integral part of our home. There will always come a time that you will need to replace it because we know that there will always be a strong storm that will damage it, or it’s materials might have been degrading already after the good long years it has served.           Before replacing your current roof, you have to check on certain aspects of it that would help you. Here are some of these considerations to look at before replacing your roof: 1. References- Before anything else, you yourself must research with things to check at regarding roofs. This is just like homework for your home. Getting various references would help you compare and decide. You can also take suggestions from friends or neighbors. Do not disregard any suggestion they give because any idea they can give you might help you create the bigger picture for your roof replacement project. Also, your neighbors might have already experienced replacing their roof so they can give you insights based on their experience. 2. Hire a Roof Specialist- A roofer/roof mechanic/roofing contractor is a tradesperson who specializes in roof construction. Roof replacement is not as easy as it looks like because there are a lot of things to consider and a roof specialist would come in handy. Homeowners will never know everything immediately if it will be their first roof replacement. Acknowledging the fact that a roof specialist bolsters with knowledge and expertise on roof replacement will help you. Check out for companies who are renowned and reputable when choosing where to hire a roof specialist. 3. Quality Material- There would be a lot of different brands that would be available in the market. You have to make sure to select a material that would have the quality you need for your roof replacement. You have to look for materials that would last for a long amount of time so that the money you invested in it would not be wasted. This will not just affect the longevity of your home. Also, making sure you have quality material used for roof replacement will also save you when you will list your home in the market. It would also add to the home’s value because no home buyer would want to expend additional resources to repair a home, he/she just bought. 4. Cost Estimation- Never spend immediately as soon as you see a roof replacement material that you like. Remember that you also have a limited budget and the key to this would be proper cost estimation. Having a clear idea of how much would everything cost is essential in a roof replacement project. From the material to the labor and other miscellaneous fees, it would be good to estimate them first so that you won’t be spending too much. Hiring a roof specialist can help you in making the right estimation after you tell him/her the material of the roof replacement that you have in mind. 5. Right Time- It does not mean that once you have everything else settled, that you will proceed immediately with the roof replacement. You must also check the current roof you have if it can still hold out. If the weather would be clear for at least a week, go on with the roof replacement so that your home would be secure for the next storm or maybe for the next season. Most likely, people have roof replacement projects during off-seasons. Meaning they do not proceed with this during fall and summer. 6. Certification- Make sure that the company you will be hiring a roof specialist is certified. This is a common mistake because others immediately rush this therefore, they end up becoming a victim of scams or incompetent roof replacements. Which, in the end, will end up wasting time and money. So before hiring, make sure they have a proper license, insurance, and reputation. These are the main things to consider before engaging in a roof replacement project. Please take note of these so that you could help yourself save time, money, and effort.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Wed, 23 Oct 2019 14:31:30 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5426274/things-to-consider-before-replacing-your-roof https://activerain.com/blogsview/5425944/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-security-system We normally encounter homes that have an alarm system or a security system. Both systems are technically just the same thing as they will give notice to the owner or even to the nearest police precinct if any unwanted guests have entered or trespass our property. Although, these two systems differ from the angle of the features available in the system installed. Home alarm systems are good, and still, do the job but you can still increase the level of security you have if you install a home security system. So, what are the things that we should consider before purchasing a home security system? 1. Homeownership- Basically, you would want to invest in having a home security system if you own the current house you are staying in. This investment would never be wasted since a home’s security is imminent and is a must. If you do not own the house you are staying, you would not or should I say, you must not be the one to purchase a home security system. Instead, notify your landlord that he/she must provide it because you are paying your rent properly and need proper protection from unwanted guests. 2. Camera- Do you need a security camera? If so, then it is imperative that you get a home security system instead of a home alarm system. Having a security camera does not simply imply that you will have visuals when someone would try to sneak in an attempt to ransack your home, it would also enable you to have the ability to check your home from wherever you are by opening the feeds of your security cameras online. This is one of the advantages of having a home security system rather than a home alarm system. 3. Mobile access- With the help of technology, home security systems can also be synced up with our mobile phones. This means that with the touch of our fingertips, we can access the home security system whenever we like. Having this ability greatly gives us better access to our home even if we are on vacation or at work. This feature greatly saves us from the hassle of checking our home manually. 4. Homestay- Are you planning to relocate soon? If yes, then you might as well think twice before purchasing a home security system. A home security system is a good investment but if you would not benefit from it then it would be a luxury and not a necessity. Although some would install a home security system to increase their home’s value, it would be much more necessary if the homeowner would be benefitting from it. 5. Extra security features- Are you satisfied with a home alarm system? If yes, then you do not need to go for a home security system. Having a home alarm system is definitely cheaper than a home security system but it would have less safety and security features. Others find home alarm systems good enough for them; while others seek the features available from home security systems. 6. Reputation- If you are planning on installing a home security system, you have to check the background of the security system you are getting. There are a lot of home security system companies that have different price ranges. It does not necessarily mean that the higher the price, the better the services. There are also some security system companies that are cheaper because they are already good enough with the features they offer. So, it would be better to check the reputation of the security system you will get a home security system before purchasing it.           With these basic considerations to keep in mind, you can check whether you need a home security system or you can just settle with a home alarm system. You will also encounter several home security systems with features that are not necessary for you and some that you can never benefit from. So, be wise in choosing the home security system to be installed on your property. As well as researching in advance so that it won’t be a bother later on if the home security system provider is not good enough. Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Tue, 22 Oct 2019 14:22:35 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5425944/things-to-consider-before-buying-a-security-system https://activerain.com/blogsview/5425628/is-home-automation-a-must- As we know, technology is rapidly advancing at an alarming rate. It holds the key to fewer hassles in the different fields of our life. But have you already felt the need for it to be at your home too? It won’t just add convenience at our home; it would also help us in terms of security.Home automation has already been applied to properties that are even listed in the market. This often adds up to a home’s value or can be a bargaining chip to be used by the home seller to increase the price pitched in by any potential home buyer. So, you would ask the question: Is home automation a necessity or just another luxury? The use of home automation would indicate that your home is already leaping unto the modern world. Here are a few reasons why it is a must: 1. Time- Time management is not an easy endeavor. Nowadays, people have too much to do at hand, unlike the earlier decades. Before we only had just the right amount of things to worry and do but as time passed, the amount of duties and responsibilities we have has significantly increased. Have you imagined that at least during your stay at home, that you have to do less than usual? Home automation comes at play during these simple things. With home automation, we can now multi-task easier because of the technological advancements we apply to our home. Each device we have at home can increase our efficiency which would save us time. In the end, each time we save from our responsibilities and duties will give us more time for ourselves and for our family. 2. Internet- Long ago, people thought that the internet was just a luxury, just a want, but never a need. But times have changed. The availability of the internet has sprung out. From its availability at internet facilities to just a simple touch from our smartphones, we can already access the internet from the tip of our hands. Nearly every device we own can have access to the internet which made most of us dependent on it. And even now, we can equip devices at home that would be connected to our smartphones via the internet. This helps us check in our home or even move things with just a touch of our fingers. 3. Energy Efficiency- There are times where you forget to turn off a device at home which in the end wastes energy for the whole day and also adds up to your energy bill. The ability to turn off your devices at home would definitely be helpful to any home. Home automated systems can freely control devices at home, your smart light bulbs, and even your thermostat. By having a home automated system, you can now monitor everything that consumes energy which can help you save up not only their life but also your energy bill. Smart thermostats can adjust and monitor what temperature would be good for your body. This comfort is vital if you are tired after an eight-hour shift and when you get home, it would be helpful if your smart thermostat adjusted the home temperature to be warm or cold enough for you. Not only does it save you the hassle of finding the right temperature, but also saves you time so you can relax. 4. Security- Have you experienced going on vacation and while you are away from home, you keep worrying whether your home is safe from burglars? Well, now you don’t need to worry that much. With home automation, you can install cameras and alarm systems that serve as your first line of defense from these unwanted guests that plan to ransack your home while you are away. And by the first line of defense, these alarm systems are also connected to the nearest police precinct which alerts them that someone is trying to break in your home or property. The next line of defenses would be the smart locks placed at your doors or even installed at your windows. This is one of the most important features that home automation has to offer. Being safe and sound whether you are in your home or away from it is a feeling that most do not experience anymore. So, before you think that home automation is not necessary, look at these advantages and think deeply. It would not hurt to invest in a system that would help you in your daily life and also save time so that you could spend it more for yourself and for your family. Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Mon, 21 Oct 2019 16:48:49 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5425628/is-home-automation-a-must- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5424805/listing-your-home-in-fall When it comes to the seasons in listing a property on the market, people often sell their homes during spring and summer. This is a recognized fact that spring and summer are the seasons where most people put their homes in the market and that these properties get sold on that season. When fall comes, most of these property’s listing is about to expire. The effect would be that there is less competition during the fall, and you could see that people want to land a successful sale before the holidays. As you see, homebuyers who participate in acquiring properties in the fall are more serious. They have already spent months scouring for that dream home they desire and they would want to conclude their search. These home buyers would also want to move in with ease before the holidays.             As we know, preparing your home would be time-consuming and would take in a lot of effort. You should hire a real estate agent to help you with this process that includes the preparation of your home and documents involved with the sale. At present, most people want homes that are ready for occupancy. This means they want a home that is not totally empty, but a home that is staged with furniture.             During the preparation of your home, you must consider checking on the three most important areas to help sell your home in the fall, these are: 1. Replacing Floors- When doing the home staging, make sure not to leave the floors unattended. They might just be “the floor” but they must still be good for future use. You must replace any broken ceramic floor tiles, badly worn hardwood and curling, vinyl floors. These often catch the attention of probable home buyers and would leave a sour taste on their intent to purchase your home. In the end, you must take responsibility to repair, refinish, and replace the flooring. It is not as expensive as most people think but any buyer would not want to deal with it as they want to move in immediately with ease. 2. Updating the Kitchen- Most would point out that it is a big no if they should remodel their kitchen before selling their home. Yes, we know a major kitchen renovation is very expensive and will be a bit personalized. But we do know that buyers won’t go for homes that have a very long repair list. And the kitchen is an essential area since it is here where we prepare our meals and store our food. Other buyers would walk out immediately if they see a messy kitchen. An easy way to remodel the kitchen would be to: a) remove the wallpaper and wallpaper borders. b) paint the walls with a neutral color that provides warmth and is light. c) replace broken appliances. d) replace worn, cracked countertops. e) declutter your kitchen storage areas and countertops. Follow these steps to help in remodeling your kitchen before listing your home. 3. Repainting- This would probably be an important part of the home staging. Repainting not only makes your home feel new, but it also makes it have a different appeal to it. A good repaint makes a home feel inviting, yet it looks clean and presentable that home buyers would steal one more glance to it. That is why you must do a proper paint job before listing your home. Do not forget to paint your front door with a vibrant color since it will be the first thing your home buyer would see.              Accomplishing these three areas will not just help you in selling your home, it would hasten the process since having a proper home staging will attract more buyers. And considering you list your home in the fall, you will get the attention of the buyers who want to land a sale.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Fri, 18 Oct 2019 14:27:17 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5424805/listing-your-home-in-fall https://activerain.com/blogsview/5424448/5-reasons-to-hire-a-certified-locksmith In every home, there will always come a time that you would get locked out or that your door lock would malfunction. This situation often happens when a lot of things are happening to you that your focus or attention on the simple things are pretty much reduced. Mind you that being in this type of situation isn’t just annoying but it is a hassle.           When this situation occurs, it is advised that you do not deal with it by yourself because you might not just destroy your lock, you might also damage your door. Hiring a certified locksmith who can fix this problem would be the best solution. If you will hire a professional locksmith, make sure that he/she is a certified one. There are a lot of reasons to hire a certified locksmith, here are the five main reasons: 1. Expertise- Basically, certified locksmiths have the expertise you need for your home or property. They have the knowledge and experience of the security systems up to the latest technological advancements. With this knowledge, they can perform their services properly and efficiently. This is the most important reason because a certified locksmith has more in-depth training compared to other locksmiths. This gives them the edge. After going through training sessions, they will eventually complete those sessions and get the certification. The certification also requires experience and other qualification benchmarks. 2. Availability- Worst case scenario, you get locked out in the middle of the night. And you call upon your local locksmith but he/she is already sleeping. Calling a certified locksmith can provide you with assistance in no time. Calling their agency or company will be followed up by them sending a vehicle with their certified locksmith along with all the necessary tools they use. This is to provide you with the service you need in your emergency situation.3. Insured- There are lock repairs that also lead to damages to your doors, broken glasses, and other property damages. These are truly unavoidable. Hiring a certified locksmith in these situations will be favorable to you. They would not just be certified but they are also insured. This means that any damages that resulted from the lock repair will be covered by their agency. 4. Security- There are a lot of incidents where a hired locksmith makes a copy of your home keys and break in your home when you are there or not around. This is a traumatic experience since your lock problem leads to a much more unnecessary event that makes you lose not just your belongings but the memories with those belongings. These mishaps could be avoided by hiring a certified locksmith. Of course, one can say that hiring a certified locksmith will not mean that those mishaps won’t happen, but they will be less likely to happen. Certified agencies or companies provide their customers with reliable, authentic, certified locksmiths. They will be responsible if the certified locksmith they dispatched to you would break in your home. They will be liable since they were the ones who provided the service with a certified locksmith they did not even check. In the end, certified locksmiths are safer than the regular locksmiths since not only are they trained rigorously but they are also backed by an agency or company that can give you the insurance and assurance you need. 5. Safety- We all know that when we buy a property from a home seller, we can never be one hundred percent sure that the home seller would never keep a spare key. This has happened a lot of times from the past until the present. There are home sellers who have other plans after they sell their property. It is a significant risk that you would not want to have right? Hiring a certified locksmith can ease your way with this risk and remove it. They can guide you thoroughly with regards to the changes in the locks you have in your new property and also can give insights for you regarding re-key options so that you can have a much safer property in the long run.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Thu, 17 Oct 2019 14:33:22 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5424448/5-reasons-to-hire-a-certified-locksmith https://activerain.com/blogsview/5424069/5-reasons-why-your-home-will-never-sell As you have listed your home in the market and a certain period passes, you will come to ask: Why can your home not end up in a sale? While you have done what you think was enough, in the end, your home is still in the market and is still waiting for a potential home buyer. There are several reasons why your home has not ended up in a sale, and here are five of those reasons: 1. Poor Marketing- Yes, you listed your home in the market but it does not even attract potential home buyers. How come it is in the market yet no one knows it is even for sale? It is a bit obvious but it does not mean that if you put your home or property in the market, home buyers will immediately get a notice about it. It does not mean that if you put a “for sale” sign in your front lawn, that people will start showing interest in purchasing your property. You will always need to properly market your home. Proper marketing involves constant exposure to your property. It would be better to hire a real estate agent since they know how to properly market your home to the market. You can also use advertising through newspapers, radio or other media sources. This can get hold of the attention of homebuyers who read and listen to these media sources. 2. Availability- We do know that some potential home buyers would like to see the home or property personally after seeing it in advertisements or in the market. Even a real estate agent would find it very difficult when he/she can not convince a home seller to let any potential buyers see it personally. Even if it ended up as a coincidence when you were busy or something came up, or simply that you don’t want other people stepping inside your home while you are in it, would not just be a burden for you but your property may not even sell because most home buyers want to see and feel the property personally. 3. Overpriced- This is the most common mistake that home sellers commit. They are either too attached to the property or they just don’t know the value of their property in the market. If a home is priced too high, it will definitely not sell. You should hire a real estate agent for this since they are well equipped with the right knowledge regarding your home’s value. As well as what it would be priced in the market since your home might have similar properties to it. It would be best to compare its price to several similar properties so that you won’t lose your chance of landing a sale. You should also avoid being too sentimental to your home. Yes, we know that you have spent years in your old home and that you have experienced life-changing events that transpired within it. It would hurt you to leave it but you will need to let go if, for example, your new job was a city away from your home. It really is dependent on the circumstances you have in life. So, at the end of the day, try to place your price near its value and also make sure you will not end up having negative equity. 4. Exterior- Your home exterior is your front line when any potential home buyer ends up driving into your home to see it personally. Others make sure that the front door has a bright or lively color so that it would smack the attention of any potential home buyer that would go or pass by it. Making sure that the outside look of your home is good enough to make sure that any potential home buyer would look twice. It is important to check this during the home staging period. This is so that you might increase your chances of selling your home if it has a better landscape compared to others. 5. Smell- This is a bit of a bad sign when you have a potential home buyer who personally goes to your property and finds out that it has a certain smell that is not healthy. But do not treat this as an irrelevant topic because a lot of potential home buyers end up not going back to a property they have seen since they already experienced having to smell something horrible. This would be a disaster.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Wed, 16 Oct 2019 14:32:27 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5424069/5-reasons-why-your-home-will-never-sell https://activerain.com/blogsview/5423707/5-home-moving-tips We all know how moving can be a tiring and gruesome experience that often gives us headaches. Although sometimes it could also be an enjoyable experience due to the fact that we will be moving to a new place and that we will have a new environment. Yet, home moving gets tough when we were at the phase of choosing the home moving service and packing to apply for. But in reality, it should not be that much of a problem. Most likely, having a proper home moving plan can make your home moving easier and less stressful. Here are 5 home moving tips you can follow to consider: 1. Packing all items before the day of moving- This is one of the most basic procedures before moving from your old home to your new one. You should have already prepared your belongings days before the set date of moving. This is to ensure that you won't be hassled of rushing the preparation of your belongings. Also, it is essential to pack all your belongings at least a few days before the date of moving so that you would not forget anything. It is also good to have a checklist of your belongings so that you can make sure you will not be forgetting anything. If you lack boxes for packing your belongings, you could grab some from the grocery or even from your hired home moving service. 2. Packing your fragile items- Fragile items are often the most expensive items you have. These items are way more delicate compared to others. Most people have fragile items that get damaged during the home moving phase which results in unwanted losses. It is wise to pack these items and keep a close watch on the box or boxes they are in. This ensures that you won't necessarily get losses but also avoid any damages that could be done to them. It would be better to mark the box where you would put these fragile items in. You could also instruct the home moving service to be extra careful with these boxes so that they could also be extra cautious of these boxes. But thankfully, most home moving services already ask in advance if you have fragile items since they are also aware that they would also want you to not have any unwanted damages or losses from your belongings during the home moving phase. 3. Booking your home moving service- One of the most common mistakes of other people is that they hire a home moving service on the day they will move instead of applying for their services in advance. This means that one must find a home moving service and apply for their services before your home moving date. It is better to be prepared in advance rather than to do things in impromptu. This removes the risk of you not finding a good home moving service. It also reduces the risk of being a victim of poor transport service which often leads to damage to your belongings, losses, additional stress and other negative feelings. So, do not take the risk and always book your home moving service in advance. 4. Check out your home moving service- Nowadays, with the help of modern technology, we can see reviews for home moving services online. This means there are people who can share with you what they experienced when they hired a home moving service, whether it may be positive or negative. This helps others decide which home moving service to hire since people won't post negative reviews if something bad or unpleasant did not happen when they hired that home moving service. That is why, as much as possible, try to check online for reviews or testimonies of others who used that home moving service you plan to hire before hiring them so that you can have a general idea of what service to expect from them. 5. Keep it practical- Choosing a home moving service does not necessarily mean that you must choose the most expensive one in the list of home moving services. The higher the price does not mean that their service is also top of the line. Given a large number of home moving services, try to check them out properly before deciding. Never decide which home moving service to hire just based on their hiring price. Most likely, choose a home moving service that you can afford so that you also won't exceed your budget.  Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Tue, 15 Oct 2019 14:34:40 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5423707/5-home-moving-tips https://activerain.com/blogsview/5423341/selling-your-home-by-yourself- Some would think that selling their property by themselves would save them money. That it would save them time, money and effort. They naively think that selling their property on their own would be an easy task. Selling your property not only is a strenuous process but it also requires research and a lot of paperwork to be accomplished. This is why hiring a real estate agent would be the best option. But if you try to sell your home by yourself, what are the possible problems to face?             These are the common problems that home sellers who do it by themselves face:      Home Inspection- Having a home inspection is not just costly, it is accompanied by a lot of data that are regarding the issues of your home that are found out after this inspection. Not only will you need to treat these issues by repairing them but you also need to make sure to repair them with the least costing job order. You see, a home inspection is accompanied by additional costs that are often costly for any home seller.      Setting the Price- Most home sellers think their property still has high value even after a few years just because it is still okay or a bit better compared to others. Little do they know that you must research the market for other properties similar to yours or even personally check them out so that you could set a better price for your house. Having an overpriced house will definitely not even end up selling. This is true even in areas where there is a shortage of properties. People are not willing to spend too much on a property that they could also purchase elsewhere at a cheaper price. Hiring a real estate agent would definitely help you as a home seller since they are well equipped with knowledge regarding every corner of the market. Selling your home without proper research and knowledge of the market would cost you not only money but also your effort and as well as your time. Wasted time would not just be damaging for you but also for your property because as time goes by, your property’s value will decrease and what’s worse is that when you sell it after a long time, it would be worth even less than your mortgage which normally results to negative equity.      Finding Potential Home Buyers- After listing up your property in the market, a lot of potential home buyers might come and show up at your doorstep but they are not necessarily the home buyer you have been waiting and looking for. They might just be interested in how your property would look like or even just come by thinking they can afford your property even if it is way out of their budget. You as a home seller should know that wanting to buy a home and being able to do so are different points of view.      Doing an Open House- This is one of the oldest marketing strategies since the technology was not yet that advanced before. Yet, even now, some home sellers still apply this thinking that doing an open house would be simple and easy. Little do they know that when the day of the open house comes, most of the participants would be their neighbors who are just there to check out what’s new in your property. Even though you already listed your property in the market and announced an open house, it does not mean that potential home buyers would actually show up there immediately. And then that is when home sellers think, what went wrong?             After trying to sell your property on your own, you will later realize that you have been wasting your time, effort and money. Which in the end, would take a toll not just on you but on your finances. This would be detrimental to you. So, as a word of advice, try to hire a real estate agent to help you. They will not just aid you in listing your property in the market, they will also help you with the necessary paperwork which could also avoid any legal actions in case you would forget some important items.   Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:35:15 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5423341/selling-your-home-by-yourself- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5422381/avoiding-significant-expenses-after-a-home-sale There are some states that require home sellers to disclose all known defects that can affect the home’s value. There is a form known as the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement which is handed out to a potential buyer when they are planning to make an order.             Normally, having this form handed to any potential buyer would make the real estate transaction smoother for both the home buyers and the home sellers. But in another sense, it could also destroy a deal or worse, it could result in costly expenses. It could also incur legal actions that would be detrimental to a home seller if he/she forgets any important tasks.            There are factors to consider to avoid adding significant expenses after you sell your home. Make sure to take note of the following:             Update - This is one of the biggest mistakes that home sellers make. Upon completing the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement and then putting the property in the market, they would forget to update it constantly. This means that the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement must always be updated throughout the home sale period. When a buyer makes an offer, the house goes under a contract. The home buyer normally requests a home inspection. When this home inspection is done and completed, several issues may rise up that the home buyer may not like and back out from the contract. After this, the home seller would focus on the problems found in the home inspection which would be repaired. But the problem is that the home seller forgets to update the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement. Which results in an unfavorable situation. When a new potential home buyer checks out the property, he/she still receive the old copy of the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement. As the home seller forgot to update it, the home buyer would think that the same problems are still in it. Each repair done should be placed and updated in the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement so that the home seller could avoid any legal actions for failing to communicate the problems to the potential home buyer. It is also necessary to update the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement so that any potential home buyer who checks it would see that the defects found out in the property have been repaired and remedied. For any home buyers out there, it is important to ask for a Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement before putting in your offer so that you can ensure that the home seller will be held accountable to any undeclared lapses in the property.             Inspection - As stated beforehand, home inspections are always done when any potential home buyer pitches in an offer on the property. We all know that any home buyer would want to be sure that the home they are purchasing will come with no major issues that would be result in additional expenses for them. But any home seller could also get a home inspection done before even putting their property in the market. With this method done, the home seller can now do the necessary repairs or fix the issues in the property, so that he/she can choose the right price for the property for its current condition after repairing it. This would also be an advantage to any home seller since they would be able to properly fill in the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement so that the disclosed information would not surprise the home buyers since there would be no notable defects in the property. Sometimes, after a home inspection is done by a reputable company, they would request for further inspections so that they can offer an estimate for the cost of the repairs to be done.            Disclose - Filling up the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement can sometimes make the home seller anxious because this form might work against them depending on the situation. Disclosing the defects of one’s home would definitely be displeasing to any home buyers. But in reality, this would be better since disclosing it would be a double-edged blade. It means, the home buyer would see what to expect if he/she purchases the property and the home seller would also be protected from any legal actions that could be done to him/her by the home buyer if he/she did not disclose any issues of the property.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:17:08 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5422381/avoiding-significant-expenses-after-a-home-sale https://activerain.com/blogsview/5422053/are-you-ready-to-sell-your-home- Selling your home where you have lived in for years is probably one of the most difficult decisions that you will make in life. You don’t simply wake up and just feel like selling it. Even when opportunities or changes in your careers come that require you to migrate, you even think of this place, this sanctuary where you have made a lot of memories with. Thinking of leaving a house is not as simple as it sounds. There are a lot of factors regarding this situation. The memories with the house will always give it a big splash of sentimental value. The amount of money we have invested in the house. Each factor will definitely make it harder and harder for us to let go of the house. Yet even if we are hesitant at first, we still reach the point where we really need to move out and leave this house. Some of the reasons are not simply on our emotional state, it will also appeal to our financial state. You can’t sell a home if your wallet is not also ready. You cannot risk the fact that you will move out with no back-up budget in case an emergency would occur. Here are the things to check so that you can know that you are ready to sell your home: Equity- Equity, in lay man’s terms, is the difference between the market value of your home and the amount you owe the lender who holds the mortgage. It is the money you will receive after paying off the mortgage when you sell your home. This is basically the most important factor when thinking if you are ready to sell your home. Take note that if you can sell your home for more than what you owe from your mortgage, you will surely gain profits. This is not always the case but as much as possible you should always keep in track in paying your mortgage so when the time comes and you will sell your home, you would have positive equity. Negative equity, which means that the money you will get after selling your home is less than that of what you owe, would result in problems in your budget. And you would not want that to happen. But you cannot control your home’s value and the price range of it in the market. Another way to turn negative equity into positive equity would be by keeping check of your home’s value in the market. You would know if the trend would be favorable to you and if you see that your home’s value increased in the market, that would be the time for you to sell it so that you would not end up in negative equity. So, it will be better to monitor this factor firsthand. If you see that you will end up having negative equity, it would be better to think carefully if you will still want to proceed with selling your home. Credit Score- After accomplishing selling your home, you have to make sure you have a good or even a strong credit score. This is a must because having a good credit score will aid you in the new mortgage you will be applying to. Some might say that this is not always the case, that it is not that important. But hey, look at this situation, applying for a mortgage with a higher percentage would mean you would be spending more monthly instead of having a low percent mortgage. Your credit score greatly affects this. You can also check out how loans are handed out and how they are affected by your credit score. You will see that this is not a simple thing to ignore. Savings- At the end of the day, when you move to your new home you would need a few weeks or even months before you settle in properly. Selling your old home did not come cheap because it still had to undergo home staging which was an additional cost for you but it was a necessary one. You would not want to forget that after leaving your old home, you will still need to apply for a new mortgage for the new home. Meaning you still need to have a back-up budget ready in case things go sour. So always make sure you have enough savings to get you through. Being prepared is better than drowning yourself in loans if you could have prevented it just by saving up.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:31:27 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5422053/are-you-ready-to-sell-your-home- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5421711/home-moving-guide The time has come for you to start packing. Yes! You have already hit a sale and sold your home. After a period of marketing, now you have to say goodbye to it. This is basically a difficult part for home sellers since most are emotionally attached to their old home. You may call it being sentimental but there really comes a time when you have to leave your home and get a new one. Which is in line with the current situation you are in. Moving is one of the most stressful things in life which is along with the list with job loss, divorce, a major illness, death of a loved one. This is why moving is important and should be done in an organized manner. We do know that when we prepare for something, the less stress we feel since we are ready for it. Packing your house from the smallest stuff to the biggest equipment in it can be overwhelming. You can start preparing for a few weeks in advance right? Here is an outline of how you should prepare for moving which you can use as a guide: One month before moving out - Normally when you sell your property, you don’t necessarily vacate it immediately. At least set a month for your preparation so that you can begin packing your belongings. Some start packing their belongings during this time even if the property is still being checked out in the market. It never hurts to be prepared but it would also be better to start pre-packing during this period in time. You can start packing the small appliances, collectibles, tools, and some clothing that you need for your new home. Three weeks before moving out - In this period, you will be starting to pack the items that are not essential to use immediately as you move to your new home. For example, are books, kitchen items, extra linens. Since you will be moving, you won’t immediately start reading and arranging the books since you would be pre-occupied with the unpacking of the other items. You will just set aside a number of kitchen items like plates, utensils for the number of people in your home. Two weeks before moving out - Still, during this period, the serious packing begins. This means you will start packing down the items in your home. Any clothing, jewelry, and shoes that you won’t be needing immediately will be packed in this period. If you have kids, set aside a small number of toys for them to play with and the rest of their toys will go to the boxes. If you think that two weeks is enough, you would be surprised to find it not that easy to organize your packing. One week before moving out - Finally, only one week and you will be moving out. Here you will finish up the last items to be packed. The rest of your clothing can go to the boxes but set aside at least a week’s worth of clothing for you to use. At this point, you would feel the anxiety, and the emotional attachment you have for your old home. You would feel the connection you have with it and would find it hard to sever the ties. Here is where the stress level rises up. Do not forget to box up your electronic gadgets and appliances. If possible, use their original boxes. You should keep a separate box for your daily essentials so that you know where to find it immediately. The day of moving out - During the final day, you will be moving out with all the boxes and the furniture, as well as the big appliances. If possible, hire movers to help you load and unload all of your belongings because it would not be good to do everything by yourself. Imagine lifting the whole refrigerator using your back, the toll it would do to your back will not be good.             Remember, label every box. I repeat. Label every single box. Write what is inside each box so that you will find it easier when you are unpacking all the boxes. Hopefully, this outline would help you move out properly and in a more organized manner.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Wed, 09 Oct 2019 14:30:59 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5421711/home-moving-guide https://activerain.com/blogsview/5421305/5-documents-to-ready-before-listing-your-home Listing your property in the market is not as easy as it sounds. You have to prepare your house. You will be too busy cleaning, making maintenance checks and even packing your own stuff that you will transfer to your new home. But have you forgotten to check the documents supporting your property? In this article, we will tackle the documents that we should prepare before putting a property into the market. Making sure that these documents are prepared beforehand will ease your sales.             At the end of the day, you would not want to search for these documents after you have packed every stuff you would transfer right? You would not want the hassle of unboxing and searching for these documents. It would better to prepare them. Here are the documents you should prepare before listing your property: Floor Plans - Floor plans are provided to the home buyer by the home seller as the property has been sold. You see, your potential home buyer might want to alter some parts of the house since he/she has different plans for a home compared to you. Having this document will give a full overview of the structure and the spacing of the house. Which in the end, would help the home buyer as he/she renovates some parts of the house since he/she has different needs and wants. These documents also help the potential home buyer to estimate how much would he/she need to spend on remodeling. Also, showing the floor plans to your potential buyer saves time for both of you because the potential home buyer does not need to go back to record the dimensions of your property. As you can see, making sure that this is ready would have a positive impact on you and your potential home buyer. So, make sure it is readily available. Home Survey - You as a home buyer had this document before purchasing your current home. You requested and obtained a home survey before and you might want to prepare this document for your future potential buyers. This document would be good for at least a span of five years. So, if you have not yet lived within that property for five years, your potential buyer could use your existing home survey instead of paying for a new home survey which would help them save money too. It is also very important that your home survey must have the seal of the surveyor in order to ensure its authenticity, even if it is just a photocopy. Loan Statement - This document will help you price your property in the market. Why? This is because having your loan statement document will help you assess how much money you have in your home. This means you can check whether you would take an offer from a potential buyer or refuse it. You would have monthly statements from your loan provider given monthly so you can keep in mind those numbers as you prepare your property for the market. Utility Bills - This is quite basic. Showing and providing the utility bills to your potential buyer would help him/her see how much would the utility cost be in your property. This would help them budget the monthly living costs that each one of us tries to meet every month. A marketing strategy would be providing the utility costs which are low to entice your potential home buyers. It does not hurt to be transparent too and show them all of your utility bills for the past year. This would also show how your property fares throughout the seasons where we do know that utility costs would spike up during the winter. Manuals, Warranties and Repair Receipts - Did you keep all the manuals and warranties for the appliances you will leave for your potential buyer? If yes then that would be a plus point. Any home buyer would find these documents helpful. Warranties that are transferrable will definitely work in your favor as a bonus chip for your home sale. Repair receipts are also in line with these documents. Showing a new roof has been installed within a year would definitely spike up the interest in your property because home buyers find it appealing that they would not need to allot additional money for roof repairs since your property has a new roof.   Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Tue, 08 Oct 2019 14:24:02 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5421305/5-documents-to-ready-before-listing-your-home https://activerain.com/blogsview/5420969/6-common-home-selling-mistakes When it comes to selling your home in the market, there are a lot of preparations to do and you might miss out on some necessary things. Selling a house is not really an easy task nor is it a difficult one, you just have to make sure to check on the basic stuff that you yourself would look at when you are finding a home to buy. But right now, a lot of home sellers unintentionally forget to check these parts.              Most of the home sellers in the market often release a big amount of money to prepare their property that somehow becomes a big extravagant. Investing in basic stuff would improve your home’s value.             So, what are these basic kinds of stuff that can increase your home’s value? Not Preparing - Yes, this is literally stating the obvious. The mistake of not preparing your home for the market is really bad. You see, when you release the information regarding your home in the market, it will be the first thing your potential buyers see. We all know that first impressions last so if you did not prepare and just put your home in the market, that first impression would turn to dust. Reducing your potential buyers and extending the home selling period that you have in mind. Always make sure that when you plan to sell your home, you have to prepare it delicately. Imagine making a product with a bad packaging, that will be what it would look like if you showed your unprepared home to the market. Preparing might sound basic, might sound very simple, but in the end, preparing your home is like meticulously designing a package for it. So that when your potential buyers see it, they will get hooked and interested immediately. Fix the Flooring - Have you ever experienced checking out a property and upon entering it you already hear creaking sounds? Or you might have experienced walking on rough floorings because it has already been too old and not even fixed? Having an old floor that is outdated will already send negative vibes to your potential buyers. Even you yourself would not want to purchase a house that has old flooring. You would think of the safety risks it would involve not only to you but also to your family, right? So, do not forget to fix the flooring because once your potential buyer steps inside the house, the endorsement of your property has already begun. Having a good flooring would not just entice your potential buyer, it would also give a positive response from them. You might secure a favorable deal with it. Furniture - Most likely, people who undergo home selling would take their own furniture to their new home. Leaving the home for sale with less than what it needs to be called a home. Reducing the furniture, you have in your home for sale might be good since you don’t know if your potential buyer also has his/her furniture that he/she wants to move in with. But do take note that you have to make sure not to remove too much furniture that your home for sale would feel empty or even desolate. This means that you have to check that your home would still feel like home even with a small number of furniture. The key to this is having a balance with space and a well-furnished space. Plants - Plants are one of the easiest ways to liven up one’s home. Having that green hue that relaxes one’s eyes would definitely be a big plus to your potential home buyers. You see, not only would they bring life to your home but they can also fill up the emptiness from the small spaces left. Most likely, you put strategically placed plants in the living spaces of your home. This adds up to the atmosphere of the room. Also, this might be a marketing strategy since plants often attract home buyers who are nature-loving. Not only do they act as eye-catchers, but they will also serve as a natural air purifier at home. Remember that plants can bring a sense of nature and energy into your home. Paint - One of the most important factors you cannot afford to forget. Getting the right paint for your home is a must. It is not necessary to have different paints for every room in your house. Having paint that has an enlarging effect would be good. This is part of the magic of paints. But this is double-edged magic. You can see that having dull colors often sap away the life of the house, which definitely decreases your chances of making it attracting to the eyes of your potential buyers. The same can be said if you use strong and intense colors, they would be painful for the eyes. So, you have to choose the right color properly. Windows - Your old windows might be good for you but the same cannot be said for your potential buyers. Each has their own taste when it comes to windows, but as a home seller, you have to make sure to replace your old windows with decent ones. New windows can make your home feel different compared to the past ones. Imagine having a window with its frame colored brown then your joints are colored orange? How would that feel? You need to make the frame and joints have a uniform color so that they won’t feel irritating for the eyes.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:24:39 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5420969/6-common-home-selling-mistakes https://activerain.com/blogsview/5419848/tips-to-reduce-stress-when-buying-selling-a-house Have you noticed that when you undergo the process of buying or selling a home, you feel the stress accompanied by it? With all certainty, the event of buying or selling a home can be compared to any other major life event in terms of the amount of stress you can get from it. This process is not accomplished easily, it will take a very long time and stretch out your patience and budget.         As we know, our home property is the biggest asset we have. It is something we have invested a lot of money and time to. Selling your home also makes you emotional and sentimental because you have spent years inside that home and now you are going to sell it to another person.            There are several ways to cope up with the stress you accumulate during the process of selling or buying a home. The following stress management methods could help you reduce the level of stress you have: A Trustworthy Real Estate Agent - Most home buyers or sellers hire a real estate agent to aid them in the process of putting their property in the market or finding a property they want on the market. We know that having a real estate agent that we can trust can reduce the amount of stress we could have from the process of buying or selling a property. A great real estate agent will value your input, time, goals and budget. You see, your realtor will be the one who will do most of the paperwork that often add stress to a person due to the amount of papers you need to handle. Your real estate agent will also be responsible in marketing your property to the market, to represent you in the negotiations for the deal, to safeguard your interests, and to provide you additional knowledge so that you can make better decisions regarding the matter. Finding a good real estate agent is great, but finding one that is also trustworthy will be better for he/she can communicate with you easily and he/she keeps your best interests in mind before doing any action. Eat a Healthy Diet - Yes, eating a healthy diet totally has an impact on how anxious you become during the process of buying or selling a home. Our health has effects on several factors that we feel. Did you know that when you are dehydrated, when you have low blood sugar, you tend to have faster mood swings? High-sugar diets also have a big impact on your mood. When we get stressed, we tend to seek out foods with high levels of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates help our brain in the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that promotes a feeling of well-being. Exercise - We do know that regular exercise benefits not only our physical health but also our emotional health. But during the process of selling or buying a property, we tend to get busy and forget the activity of exercising. If you can, always try to engage on exercise activities because it helps your body to release endorphins. Endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body. So, in the end, exercising makes us go into a different space that makes us forget our worries for a while. You can simply take a walk after dinner, to some stretches in the morning, play sports with your kids or neighbors, swim in your pool. There are tons of ways to engage in exercising your body but the best method would be to find an exercise that you enjoy. This is because if you enjoy it, you will keep on going for it. You can do it at least once every day or every other day depending on your schedule. Getting in Your Social Circle - In times of stress, we tend to seek the company of our family or friends. It has already been proven that having time with your social circle provides tons of benefits which includes:a) relieve the effects of emotional stressb) improve our self-esteemc) cope effectively with stressful situationsd) promotes healthy lifestyle choices                        So, when you feel the stress and tension rising up, try engaging in exercises, find time to grab a chat with your friends, go out with your family, and eat a proper diet. These are simple ways to reduce the stress we get from buying or selling a property.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Thu, 03 Oct 2019 14:36:42 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5419848/tips-to-reduce-stress-when-buying-selling-a-house https://activerain.com/blogsview/5419477/home-warranty-essentials After purchasing a home or homeownership, you must also consider getting a home warranty. There will be several costs that build up over time and as time passes, having a home warranty could reduce the additional costs that are rendered by different parts of the home you have purchased.             Here, we will be focusing on the major items or parts of a home that requires a home warranty. A home warranty is similar to insurance. There are several reasons that offer pros and cons that is why it is necessary to check upon what type of home warranty it is and what does it cover. You need to know what the company provides and the type of policy that you will be comfortable with as you apply and sign a home warranty.              Even for home sellers, having a home warranty plan not only increases your property’s value, it also attracts homebuyers. With a home warranty, a home seller can also reduce the time he/she would spend in getting a sale.            As we already said, home warranties come with different policies and coverages. That is why it is very important to determine what you need in a home warranty. Meaning you should know which among the home appliances and systems should be covered in case of an unexpected breakdown. Here is a list of the items and systems that should be covered in a home warranty: Plumbing - As we all know, you cannot run a house without a proper plumbing system. We should be aware that we can live properly even with a power interruption, but having a water interruption greatly creates an unwanted disaster at home. Repairing your plumbing system will cost at least $200-$500 and that does not even include the payment for the labor of the plumber per hour of his/her work. Roofs - Having a damaged roof is critical because the roof protects our home and everything inside it from the heat of the sun to the heavy downpour from the rain. Even as it starts from a small shelling out, it could get worst and make a whole new level of damage. Shelling out could start from leaks and as it widens, it could not just be a problem from the rain but it could be worse in the months of winter. This is why having a home warranty is a must since it can cover not just the repairs and materials but also the technician who will come over to repair your roof. Refrigerators - Most likely, repairing a refrigerator could cost $200-$2,000. This is not a light addition to your expenses, right? And this price range depends on the brand you have. It also increases if you have to change important parts such like the motor. That is why this should also be included in your home warranty. Also take note that it is in the refrigerator where we store some of our food supplies. Ovens - When your oven gets damage, it isn’t necessary to replace it immediately if it could still be repaired, right? Adding it to your home warranty not only covers the unique components inside an oven, it can also cover the method of sourcing those unique parts and lastly the technician who will repair it. Take note that a thermostat costs way over $1,500 and that isn’t something you can easily procure. Washers - Having clean clothes reflects to your embodiment for your self-care. The washers are also important and if they break down, it would be because there are issues on its heater coils, motors, water valves or inverters. These could add an additional $100-$400 to your expenses. Dishwashers - Dishwashers commonly break down because of its heater, main motor, door gasket or hinges. With each part costing $200-$500, having it placed in your home warranty secures you an additional saving. Air Conditioners - During the summer, these air conditioners keep the cool inside your home. But you do know that not everything can keep on working like normal, there will be times that these air conditioners will break down. This would be a critical part you should look for when signing a home warranty because repairing an air conditioner could cost you as low as $900 but as high as $2,000. Normally, air conditioners are covered in the home electronics or home appliances protection plan in a home warranty. Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Wed, 02 Oct 2019 14:38:22 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5419477/home-warranty-essentials https://activerain.com/blogsview/5419058/is-hosting-an-open-house-necessary- One of the methods used during the past decades and even until our current timeline is the organization of an open house viewing. Doing an open house viewing was a marketing staple for the past years. But do you think it is necessary as you are proceeding in marketing your property?             As we all know, during the past decades, homebuyers would personally jump from one property to another as they search for a property to purchase. They did not have high-quality photographs, floorplans, and other enhanced marketing tools that are currently employed in home selling nowadays. The information regarding your property was not available with just a press of keys and with the internet during the past decades. Homebuyers can make major decisions online instead of going to the said property personally.            So, what is the purpose of an open house? Doing an open house must be used to expose your home to a potential buyer that wants to purchase it within the next 40-60 days. That is the sole purpose of using this marketing strategy.  But have you noticed that some real estate agents prefer using this method? One reason is that having an open house would increase the activity that your property would get from home buyers. They would flock into your property and would be able to personally gaze upon it whether it would fit for their tastes or not. They would also be able to grab the feeling of your property rather than just view it online through pictures.  Some real estate agents would disagree with this and declare that open houses create false hopes for home sellers. Yes, we know that doing an open house increases the activity of your property in the market as a lot of home buyers would go and personally view it. The false hope starts when you, the home seller, prepare the property the night before and makes sure that it will be thoroughly available for the day of the open house. That there will be no mistakes in regards to the cleanliness and/or tidiness of the property. That after garnering around 10 viewers for the day of the open house, a home seller is not guaranteed that one out of the ten viewers during the date of the open house would be your buyer. This is true for some cases and it would also reflect that even if you did not use the open house method, even if you had two viewers for a whole week, the result could still be the same.  Here is a list of the top 5 types of people who typically show up during an open house: The “Not Ready to Buy”- As you can read, this home buyer is not able to buy your property yet because he/she is still 6 months to 2 years away from being able to. Yet he/she wants to see what they could possibly buy with the money they would be having after the said period. The “Nosey Neighbor”- They are not even home buyers but, in most cases, your neighbors would go to your open house viewing just because they want to be updated to what you have. This means they are curious as to what updates did you make for this sale and if their home could compare to these changes. They just want to stick there and they have no plan to purchase your home at all. Thieves- Having an open house would be the perfect scouting method for a group of thieves. They can freely walk through the front door and look at your home from the inside. But sometimes, thieves become daring and don’t just scout during an open house. They tend to steal stuff as the open house becomes busy. You have to be aware of this risk and make sure your property has sufficient protection for an open house. Fellow Home Sellers- What is the best way to look at your fellow competitors? Going to their property and scouting it thoroughly. Doing an open house could also attract fellow home sellers so that they could check what your property offers that their property lacks. Some just want to see what other properties are in the market. They will not buy your home. The “Broke Buyer”- Unlike the “not ready to buy” persona, the “broke buyer” does not have any idea of the price of your property but they still go in hopes that they could afford it. Most of the time they are just driven by the impulse to check out your home. Unfortunately, most of the time they are not capable of purchasing your home.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:32:35 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5419058/is-hosting-an-open-house-necessary- https://activerain.com/blogsview/5418446/five-importance-of-home-inspection Buying a home is pretty much like finding a partner in life. You should really think over it before you say a “YES”. Think of it as a lifetime investment. So before you buy it, you should know if it is going to be a good fit for you or not. You will need help from a professional home inspector to conduct a survey to check if the property is ready to be sold and to check if there are no hidden issues that may affect your home buying. A professional home inspector will help you understand what a buyer will have to acquire.Here are five importance of home inspection: Check Unseen and Unforeseen IssuesYou need help from a professional to check the outside and inside of the house. Every inch needs to be inspected very well. Chances are, the inspector can discover true and costly problems that are not always evident when doing a home inspection. Better check earlier before you purchase than to regret buying in the end. Check Structural IssuesA professional home inspector will examine the house’s foundation and other structural components of the property. When purchasing a house, structural issues are significant red flags. You don't want to get stuck in a house that is not well constructed. To know the Costs of MaintenanceAll things have their own time to wear out and break. You need to include the maintenance costs when setting up a budget to purchase a home. The amount of money that you need to consider will depend on the situation of the home. A new home is less probable to require maintenance than the old ones. Know your Deal-BreakersDeal breakers help home buyers identify home much they can afford to spend to a condition that is personally acceptable. If you are unwilling to fix the damages and issues, perhaps you are not ready to end your home buying search. Unveil Unlawful Additions or InstallationsA professional home inspection includes revealing altered home areas like garages or basements, if they were completed without any proper permit, or did not follow the code and rules. It needs proper inspection to know if there are any hidden installations made and know if they are legal or not. This will help home buyers protect themselves from any illegal practice or doings of the home sellers.  Home buying should be exciting and enjoyable. Don’t let the fear of a home inspection get the best of you. Though it might cost you money, anything can be fixed. It’s far more important to learn as much as you can about a home before finalizing a home loan and signing a purchase contract. Keep a rational mind and know that if the to-do list is too long for your standards, it’s okay to keep shopping around for a better fit. Only you can decide what your time and money are worth before calling a property your dream home. Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Mon, 30 Sep 2019 14:45:51 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5418446/five-importance-of-home-inspection https://activerain.com/blogsview/5417745/5-ways-to-increase-the-value-of-your-property Have you thought of putting your home in the market? Did you find out that your property’s value has depreciated after a couple of years? You might want to consider doing some renovations that are not that expensive in order to fit in your tight budget. You might be wondering, are there really ways to increase your property’s value that are not that expensive? Well, here are 5 ways that you could get your home in shape before putting it in the market to increase its value:       Get an InspectionThis would be the first step you could possibly do as a home seller. You see, a home inspection is not limited to those buying a home. It will cost you a few hundred dollars but once it is over, you can get to see the bigger picture of your home. With this clear picture, you can know what needs to be fixed and the things that can wait. With a list in hand, you can focus on what needs to be repaired first than those that are just for upgrades.       Update your LightingSometimes you can never see the beauty of your home unless you equip it with proper lighting. The lighting you have used for years has already functioned for you and might not suit the personal taste of the next homeowners. It would cost a little, but updating the lighting would have a detrimental effect on a home’s aesthetics. Purchasing a few new lights won’t break your budget, and in the end, these new lights could uplift your rooms into a new level. Even if you are not skilled with the electrical work at home, installing a few lights would not take long.       Redo your PaintThis is one of the fastest and least expensive home improvements you can do to your home. A brand new coat of paint can transform those old walls and make them look and feel brand new and clean. Giving them a modern color could also transform your home and might suit the taste of your buyer. Purchasing the paint, rollers, and brushes will only cost a few hundred dollars in total. In the end, it would be worth every penny because once you list your property in the market, the probable buyers will see the paint immediately. Also, remember to paint your front door with vibrant colors to catch the attention of your buyers.       Update your KitchenWe all know that the kitchen is the place where we prepare our meals and store our food. Updating it would pack a punch when home buyers get to view it. Some people value the kitchen with high regards and having an outdated kitchen would be displeasing for your buyers. It would not cost that much to check on your kitchen appliances and to make sure that the cabinets are tidy and clean. Remember that the kitchen is a focal point in every home, so you cannot afford to forget fixing it before listing your home in the market.       Add InsulationYes the current insulation you have might be okay for you, but it might be the same case as for the next owner, right? Adding insulation for your home would be good as you can use this as a perk of the house. Having good insulation helps the owner control the temperature manually, and it also helps the owner regulate the temperature inside the house. A lot of people ignore homes that have poor insulation because when winter comes, people would not want to freeze inside their homes or get steamed inside of it. It might cost a thousand dollars but if it ends up getting you a higher sale then it would totally be worth it.Francisco Peot Richmond Home Sales @ ClockTower Realty Group 1561 E Main St Richmond, VA 23219 Cell- 804-617-3397 Office - 804-505-4274 Francisco@richmondhomesales.com Richmondhomesales.com Henricohomesales.com Licensed realtor in the state of Virginia Francisco Peot, The Best Place To Find Your Home! (Richmond Home Sales At EXP Realty) Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:35:18 -0700 https://activerain.com/blogsview/5417745/5-ways-to-increase-the-value-of-your-property